These both have airbag & cruise control, if anyone knows if this is direct compatible please let me know, if you have advice on where to research compatibility please share that. thanks~!

 

Update: wrecking yard on eBay offers same steering wheels for 2001-2004 with airbag and cruise

fordparts.com doesn't have steering wheel for 2003 but their part number for a steering wheel for 1998 AND 2004 are the same (intervening years show no stock, which is strange). also fordparts.com doesn't say if either steering wheel has airbag feature only lists them as: steering wheel with speed control. plus the pictures are all stock diagram of much older style I believe.

slim evidence that a 1998 that looks identical to the 2003 I am replacing is a match?

thanks ppl!

 

This dealers chart suggests there is a steering wheel that does not work on both a 1998 and a 2003.

Ford E-350 Econoline. #F7UZ3600AAA: Steering Wheel.

ugh.

 

I glanced at your post yesterday and them again today
The F7 in the part number indicates that the part was engineered or updated in 1998, the letter F stands for the decade, 1990, while the first number stands for the year in that decade. So D=1980's and E=1990's.
Sometime along the line Ford changed their numbering system. I believe it was in the late 1990's because I have not seen any part numbers with the letter G which would be the year 2000.

From what i can tell the AAA part number you show above does not have cruse control while the same part number but ending with AAB, has cruse control.

I checked here.
https://www.fordpartsgiant.com/ you can fill in the van info and do a search. I dont know how accurate they are but I use this site often looking up part numbers and then match them against other sites, they normally give a good part number.. The 2003 might fit an older model, perhaps they just made a change in the way it looks or the way the air bag fits in or pops out or something simple and then updated the number. Because it might look different, it is not listed as for an older model. I checked the clock spring part number yesterday and it showed to be the same clock spring for the years you are talking about.. This is the clock spring part number W/Cruse that I looked up F8UZ-14A664-DA If you fill in the van info and paste this number into the search window, you can see it fits your van but is a part from 1998

Something else I noticed using the site above is that sometimes it does not give the year models the part fits when you fill in your van info.
To work around this simply do a google search. example " F7UZ-3600-AAB fordpartsgiant " and it will take you to their page just for the part number and show what years it fits.




Below are the steering wheel numbers but both show they do not fit a 2003
Part No. F7UZ-3600-AAA Base No. 3600 Part Description Wheel Assy - SteeringBlack - vinyl, w/o speed control
Part No. F7UZ-3600-AAB Base No. 3600 Part Description Wheel Assy - SteeringBlack - vinyl, w/speed control




You should contact NumberDummy and he will be able to give you the correct part numbers along with what years will interchange.

I will try to look again a little later and see if I can help out more..

 

here is some other info that might be helpful. Notice the numbers are F2 and F7 which is 92 and 97 but they are listed as fitting a 2003



F2UZ-3524-A
Shaft Assy - Steering
Upper - Shaft & yoke - has U-joint, Tilt and Fixed wheel
Location: Upper Base Number: 3524 Callout Name: 3524





F7UZ-3B676-AB
Shaft Assy - Steering
Couple & Shaft (Intermediate), stripped chasis
Base Number: 3B676 Callout Name: 3524


-
-
Oddly these steering wheels for the 2003 van only fit a 2003. they have different part numbers though and both are with cruse.



1L3Z-3600-CAA
Wheel Assy - Steering
Midnight Black - leather, w/speed control
Base Number: 3600 Callout Name: 3600





2L3Z-3600-GAA
Wheel Assy - Steering
Midnight Black - vinyl, w/speed control
Base Number: 3600 Callout Name: 3600

 

good info, thanks ppl!

Yes, annaleigh exactly right, the part no. 2L3Z3600GAA seems to be the one that is for 2003. fordpartsgiant doesn't list any other years that it is a fit for... hrmmm. they also list the transmission as 'important vehicle option details' listing my 4R100, maybe I could further look into the existence of that transmission on 1998 vans.

the older steering wheels I am finding are all black, I wonder if that is what is making them not a 'factory match'? my interior is grey, funny thing I have not seen the color listed for that #2L3Z3600GAA

don't give up the hunt!

 

I found something that might help you out....

A company called steering column services and they have a phone number...
I would call them and see what they say the differences are,,, that's their business!

they have exploded views.

exploded view for the 1998 Ford E250 tilt | Steering Column Services

exploded view for the 2003 Ford E250 tilt | Steering Column Services

 

Thanks a ton, will update the thread if I get some solid data.